Introduction The novel that I have studied is Dear Mr. Kilmer by Anne Schraff. It is a moving novel that tells a story of a boy, Richard Knight, who tries to rise above the pressure and influence from his family, friends and community to stay true to himself. The plot of the story has captured my heart. There are many scenes in the novel that made my feelings go up and down, like a rollercoaster. One of the many scenes in the novel that made me sad is the scene where Hannah breaks the news of Joyce K ilmer’s death to Richard . After receiving a letter from Joyce Kilmer, Richard penned his reply and is on his way to put the letter in the mailbox. However, he suddenly feels a mysterious urgency to post the letter. He then walks to the post office. On his way, he passes by Hannah’s house. Hannah then comes out to stop
Richard and ask him whether he heard of the news. I can only imagine Richard’s shock and despair when he learnt about Joyce Kilmer’s death. There are many reasons why this scene makes me sad. Point (1) First and foremost, Richard has lost one of his true friends. Elaboration (1) Joyce Kilmer has played an undisputable role in Richard’s poetic journey. As an example in Chapter 1, Richard did not dare to share his poems with anyone. He would only lock them up in his drawer. However, after Mrs Hansen reads the poem ‘Tree’ in class, Richard eventually gains confidence in himself and dares to share his poems with the people around him. He even shared them with his class at the end of the schoo l year!
It is Joyce Kilmer that nurtured Richard’s confidence and poetry skills. Elaboration (1A) Hence, it can be seen that Joyce Kilmer is more than just a mentor to Richard – he is a true friend. From my point of view, it is very painful when we lose someone close to us. Other than emotional emotional pain, it can also cause heartache!
Link (1) Therefore, Therefore, I can
understand Richard’s pain when he learns about Joyce Kilmer’s death and I feel sad for him too. Point (2) On the other hand, this scene reminds me of the adverse, destructive effect of war. As Joyce Kilmer dies, the war has claimed another innocent soul. Elaboration (2) As it can be seen in the novel, Joyce Kilmer was originally a poet, and he did not have the slightest intent of fighting. He is a nature lover, as which can be seen
through his poem ‘Trees’. However, when the war started, he became a soldier due to his patriotism. Through his correspondence with Richard we can see that he hopes for the war to end soon and he misses home. Elaboration (2A) Unfortunately his wish is not
fulfilled as he is killed before the war ends. Besides that, Richard’s uncle, Roland, had
also died in a war. The way I see it, war does not only affect those directly in it, it also affects families and friendships. It is very sad when we lose a friend or family member to the war. Link (2) Thus, this scene reminds me that war brings sadness to family and friends of those who sacrificed themselves in the war. Sadness uncontrollably rises in my heart when I read this scene. Point (3) Last but not least, the third reason is that this scene reminds me that life is unexpected. Elaboration (3) For example, Richard wanted to ask Joyce Kilmer about the role of poets. However, he died before R ichard could get an answer. Richard’s question is left hanging and he has to seek the answer himself. He will have to continue his poetic journey on his own without the usual aid of Joyce Kilmer. Elaboration (3A) I do think that we cannot help but feel sad when life takes an unexpected turn of events. I have many such personal experiences before. Link (3) Thus, I feel sad for Richard too
when he has to face the bitter truth of Joyce Kilmer’s death. Conclusion In a nutshell, this scene is indeed a sad scene. It tastes bitter, but there is sweetness in the bitterness. It tastes bittersweet, do you agree? As the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining. Even though this scene is sad, Richard learns to be independent in his poetic journey.
